Research Assistant CV Example
Here are a research assistant CV example and expert writing tips that will help you find the research job you want in 2024.
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Copy-paste Research Assistant CV (Text Format)
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: your.email@email.com
Phone: (123) 456-7891
Address: Street, City, State
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
P: (123) 456-7890 | E: ben.jones@email.com | A: 123 1st Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11202
Education
Ph.D. in Economics | New York University | Aug 20XX–May 20XX
Dissertation: Analyzing the Economic Consequences of Gender Wage Gaps in the Gig Economy
MSc in Labor Economics | Syracuse University | Aug 20XX–Aug 20XX
Thesis: Evaluating Minimum Wage & Gender Pay Gap Myths
BSc in Economics | Syracuse University | Aug 20XX–May 20XX
Honors: summa cum laude
Publications
King, J., and Jones, B.H.
“Frankonomics: Predicting Market Fluctuations with Hot Dog Vendor Sales Data.”
American Economic Journal 20.1 (20XX): 1-26
Rollins, M.N., and Jones, B.H.
“Minimum Wage Wars: How Raising the Minimum Wage Impacted Non-Chain Restaurants.”
Econometrica 19.1 (20XX): 1-16
Research Experience
Research Assistant | NYU Department of Economics | Sep 20XX–Present
- Trained and supervised a team of 3 research interns, ensuring accurate data entry and teaching basic analytics coding skills as needed
- Led field research teams to gather data from SME owners in low-income areas of New York City
- Wrote a program to efficiently scrape data from local and federal government labor statistics websites using Python and R
- Drafted study briefs and conference posters & presentations, and co-published 2 journal articles
Research Assistant | Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs | Jan 20XX–May 20XX
- Gathered data via online research, phone surveys, and in-person interviews & focus groups
- Helped fill out and submit grant applications, winning $20 million in private and federal funding
- Used Stata to analyze complex datasets, making predictions and developing suggestions for preliminary reactions
- Sourced an app for taking surveys during field research, saving 5% of grant money that would have been spent on data entry
POSTERS & PRESENTATIONS
How a Global Pandemic Subsidized Billionaires’ Tickets to Space.
Current world events. New York University, New York (31% acceptance rate)
Socioeconomic Disparities: Assessing the Effectiveness of Government Interventions in Low-Income Neighborhoods.
Conference on urban inequalities. Syracuse University, New York (25% acceptance rate)
AWARDS
Research grants totaling $15 million – NYU Department of Economics
Outstanding Graduate RA – Syracuse University School of Economics
SGA Representative of the Year – Syracuse University Student Government
Skills
Spanish – Native-level proficiency
Coding – Python, R, SQL, and JavaScript
Analytics tools – Strata, MATLAB, and Microsoft SQL Server
French – Conversational
Project management – Scrum, Trello, and Google Drive
Remote communication – Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack
REFERENCES
Dr. Jenny King
555 Main Street, Manhattan
NY 10001
jennyking@email.com
Dr. Max Rollins
78 James Street, Syracuse
NY 13201
maxrollins@email.com
Professor Chuck Taylor
1324 Kensington Dr., Syracuse
NY 13218
chucktaylor@email.com
How to write your research assistant CV
To land a research assistant position, you need to write a CV that reflects your professional strengths, skills, and expertise in a compelling way.
Unsure whether to write CV or resume? Generally, for academic positions that require a lot of relevant qualifications, a CV is a longer document that includes things like publications and coursework.
For visual learners, this video contains the essential elements of a compelling academic CV and provide tips on how to make yours stand out:
To build on our video’s advice, follow these four tips for writing a research assistant CV that will impress any hiring manager:
1. Use professional CV formatting
Format your CV correctly to show your professionalism and diligence. A well-organized research CV tells employers that you’ll bring an eye for detail to your research work, be it in a lab or a corporate setting.
Organize your work and academic history in neat bullet points under the following headings (where applicable):
- Education
- Teaching positions
- Research experience
- Publications
- Awards and grants
- Technical skills
- Posters and presentations
- Conferences attended
- Research interests
First impressions matter, so ensure your CV’s formatting is neat and consistent. Use a professional CV font set between 10 and 12 points throughout. Also, save your CV as a PDF rather than as a Word document to avoid formatting issues if the hiring manager opens it in an old version of Microsoft Word.
Find out what to include in your CV before getting started too, to help you visualize your format and structure.
Make a professional email address that consists only of your first and last name if you don’t have one already. Hiring managers are more likely to ignore emails from silly or number-filled addresses (e.g., funbunny1459003@gmail.com).
2. Target a specific research assistant position
Show that you’re a great fit by tailoring your research CV to a single job. By using the exact words and phrases that employers are looking for, you’ll look uniquely qualified for the position, and be more likely to land an interview.
Many organizations that hire researchers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter out candidates whose CVs don’t include certain keywords. To avoid having your application filtered out, identify the skills-based keywords and phrases in the job description, and use those same words on your CV.
You should also research the school or company you’re applying to. Skim its website or scroll through its latest newsletter to learn more about what it does, and to decide which of your qualifications to emphasize.
Finally, start your research assistant CV with the most relevant information for the position. For example, if you have research experience that’s related to your target job, put that at the top of the first page to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
3. Showcase relevant academic accomplishments
Display your top academic achievements to show that you have in-depth knowledge in your area of specialization.
Most research positions require at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field, so list yours under the education section. If you have more than one degree, list each, also giving the dates, institution, and topic of your dissertation or thesis (if any).
You need to show more than just your degree though. Researchers are expected to generate new academic papers and reports on an ongoing basis, so also include any:
- related publications
- conferences or posters that you’ve delivered
- awards or grants you’ve received
While metrics like the number of publications, the impact factor of journals, and citation counts are traditional yardsticks, there’s a growing awareness in the academic community about the limitations of these metrics. Therefore, I also look for:
Collaborative research: The ability to collaborate across disciplines or with industry partners can be a strong indicator of a candidate’s adaptability and broad skill set.
Research impact beyond academia: Contributions to policy, social issues, or industry can also be significant.
Reproducibility: In an era where the ‘reproducibility crisis’ is a hot topic, the extent to which a candidate’s research is transparent, replicable, and ethical carries weight.
Dr. Andrew Stapleton of Academia Insider
4. Quantify your research skills and experience
To write a great CV, use hard numbers to quantify your experience. Research is a data-driven field, so use percentages and figures to give your achievements context.
Look at these examples of hard numbers from a research assistant CV:
Sourced an app for taking surveys during field research, saving 5% of grant money that would have been spent on data entry
Conference on International GDPs. Syracuse University, New York (25% acceptance rate)
Putting data and accomplishments on your CV is impactful because it gives the employer specific, measurable examples of how you’ve produced results, which maximizes your chances of being hired.
New to the research profession? If you’re writing a CV with no experience, highlight your skills and education instead of your work history.
3 CV objective examples for a research assistant
Start your resume with a CV objective statement showing your principal talents and career aims. A well-crafted CV objective conveys your passion and excitement about the target job. Check out these examples to help you write your own:
A highly motivated and detail-oriented graduate student in neuroscience seeking a research assistant position, I bring hands-on experience in conducting experiments, analyzing data, and literature reviews. Seeking to leverage my knowledge of advanced laboratory techniques and strong foundation in statistical analysis to contribute effectively to your research team’s projects.
A recent graduate with a degree in psychology, I am seeking a research assistant position where I can leverage my expertise in experimental design, data collection, and statistical analysis. With a proven track record of conducting psychological studies, I am prepared to contribute to the development and implementation of research protocols.
I am a graduate student with expertise in epidemiological study design, data collection, and statistical analysis. My experience in analyzing health-related data sets and contributing to research publications positions me to be a valuable asset to your team’s ongoing projects. Seeking a research assistant position in the field of public health.
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